Going Bigger Isn’t Always Better

Brands see large follower counts and think that will accomplish their goals. However, the broad reach can lead to overlooking certain things.

• The cost of working with influencers rises according to their follower count. This creates a situation where brands must go all-in on just one content piece. While many people will see sponsored content from a macro-influencer, the number of followers who will purchase the product is lower, restricting the brand’s ROI.
• Macro-influences tend to be in high demand due to their massive audiences, which the brands aim to leverage. The elevated demand for collaborations with these influencers usually leads to more complex and long-lead contracts, limiting brands that need to move fast. 
• The more popular an influencer is, the more brands want to work with them. And an influencer’s authenticity is integral to his/her success. So, when an influencer posts more sponsored content, the more likely their followers will doubt their genuineness and wonder if they are merely interested in the payout. This mistrust can also limit the brand’s ROI because followers will be less likely to purchase the product.

Pros of Choosing a Micro-Influencer

Here’s how brands can benefit from micro-influencer marketing:

• Easier to Find Your Niche
  According to Mention, 15.7% of Instagram users have 1000-10,000 followers, which fits right into the niche of micro-influencers. They have better relationships with their followers that are built on trust and expertise. A micro-influencer caters to more niche audiences and can be advantageous to a brand because they offer access to a small subset of a targeted demographic curious about the brand.
• Authenticity—“People Like Me”
  Usually, the conventional influencer with thousands of followers could be more of a celebrity than a friend. This doesn’t happen with micro-influencers because they are a lot more relatable and like a peer to consumers. A survey found that relatability is almost twice as significant as popularity. Additionally, survey respondents ranked the credibility of various groups on social media and the “people like me” subset accumulated the most trust; 61% of people find information from “people like me” to be more believable.
• Real Engagement
  A survey by Hit Search discovered that not all influencer followers are real; 98% of survey respondents claimed they encountered some questionable behaviour in their follower count. This is expected—to a certain degree. Bots often target successful accounts and the influencer’s popularity is bound to attract all types of people, real and otherwise. Simultaneously, fake followers aren’t much of a possibility for micro-influencers. The followers are real people, which ensures authentic engagement that will translate into sales.

Conclusion

As the era of social media expands, the days of brands looking only at follower counts for collaborations are long gone. There are more alternatives than ever before. Cutting-edge influencer marketing revolves around determining micro-influencers suitable to the brand’s marketing goals. It is preferable to incorporate those accounts into the more expansive marketing program in an authentic and customized way. Therefore, the trend of micro-influencer marketing is not much of a surprise in an over-saturated market.

Short Video Basics

Even though there is no standard length for short videos, anything that’s a few minutes long usually qualifies. Today, however, short-form often refers to fast, TikTok-styled content that is conveyed to be consumed easily and quickly. The concept is that users have to spend only a few moments with the content, so it should be engaging from beginning to end.

Trends also impact how marketers might design and share short video content but trends are ephemeral—they change every 3-5 days—so devising the most engaging and pertinent content requires staying up to date. Popular trends usually revolve around editing effects, TikTok dances, viral audio clips and transitions, so marketers have to be regularly involved on these platforms to comprehend what’s most popular and how that might work for their brand strategy.

The Marketing Advantage

Short videos are unmistakably popular, but why does it make strategic sense to incorporate them into marketing efforts? 

There are several reasons. 

First, it’s easy to connect with the target audience. Short video content is often summarised as relatable and authentic. And if marketers can share those feelings through short-form content, consumers are more likely to view the brand as genuine. It also grabs attention and it’s extremely shareable. More than that, however, it compels marketers to abridge their messages into a more concise time frame, making the content more manageable for consumers to digest.

Instagram Reels vs YouTube Shorts

YouTube and Instagram are both known to be as video-sharing and social media giants. Though there are several similarities between the two platforms, there are some points that must be considered before a brand can dive into them.

Let’s weigh the pros and cons of YouTube Shorts vs Instagram Reels further below.

Organic Reach and Traffic

YouTube shorts work with trending hashtags that help the content to remain on the trending list as well as niche hashtags that help the creator target a specific audience. The traffic and reach of a YouTube channel are more prone to get more views as it will be displayed on the channel’s shorts frequently. 

In comparison, Instagram reels eventually hit over-saturation with videos relying on content type and personal preference, therefore, there can be less organic traffic.

Interaction and Engagement

While shorts are yet to catch up to reels when it comes to the general craze, reels are still preferable when it comes to engagement and interaction even if they are stuck up with the generation of organic traffic. On Instagram, people can share their reels in stories and receive more engagement, which can also lead to organic reach. If a content creator is excellent with stories, sessions, posts and other interactive forms, they can definitely get more interaction. Shorts barely has any space to get the YouTuber interacting with individual subscribers.

Fun vs Formal

Reels are mostly known for duets, trending content on popular music, lip sync videos and other similar fun content. On the other hand, shorts are more inclined toward professionally-made short videos that are preferable for monetising and advertisements. 

Reels versus shorts are best summarised by their content type and creators. While reels are more of an influencer and user talent showcase, shorts are a bit more mindfully made that contain serious content designed to support the platform’s growth.

Timeframe

Reels are recorded between 15-30 seconds whereas shorts are for 60 seconds. This demonstrates that YouTube creators have more time and scope to retain viewer attention compared to Instagram influencers. 

As mentioned above, YouTube is more professional, therefore, the audience growth is slower but with time and reasonable promotion, shorts can help improve views. This will eventually boost the traffic, thereby, qualifying the content for monetisation. 

Reels might not obtain any new views or reach but get a sudden increase in audience views, which could lead to some fame overnight.

Conclusion

Instagram reels vs YouTube shorts is a tug-off between the two most popular social media platforms. The former is short-lived, casual entertainment-focused, which can cause a meteoric rise in fame. Meanwhile, the latter is long-term, demands patience but is far more professional and profitable. At the end of the day, choosing the correct channel depends on the marketing strategy—so, choose wisely.

Where it All Began

In May 2016, the arrival of Taobao Live from Alibaba opened a new chapter in sales. The retail giant from China had pioneered a powerful new approach to online shopping: live streaming was linked up with an e-commerce store to allow viewers to watch and shop simultaneously. 

Live commerce quickly affirmed itself as a fixture in sales campaigns for Singles’ Day—a major Chinese shopping event—and, more broadly, as a dependable digital tool for promoting sales and customer engagement. The first half an hour of Alibaba’s Singles’ Day presales campaign on Taobao Live in 2020 generated an impressive 7.5 billion USD in total transaction value.

How Does Livestream Commerce Create Value?

Live stream commerce can help retailers, marketplaces and brands primarily in two areas:

Accelerating Conversion

Live commerce is immersive and entertaining, keeping viewers engaged for longer. It also abridges the customer decision journeys from awareness to purchase. Tactics limited to time, such as one-off coupons can be applied to create a sense of urgency.

Improving Brand Appeal and Differentiation

When done right, live commerce enriches a brand’s appeal, which helps to draw in additional web traffic. It can bolster positioning among existing customers and attract new ones, particularly younger customers who are interested in innovative shopping experiences and formats.

Benefits of Live Stream Commerce

There are several benefits to live stream commerce. 

Live shopping provides e-commerce companies with the opportunity to showcase their products and allow customers to purchase products in real time. It is also highly engaging—unlike online shopping where customers simply click and fill up their carts. On live videos, users can also leave comments and get their queries answered faster by the seller. 

There’s also a matter of trust. Sellers can help customers with complaints and guide users through their purchasing journeys by flashing recommendations and reviews on the screen.

Shifting Tactility

In live stream e-commerce, unlike online shopping experiences, tactility is still paramount to the shopping experience. Historically, e-commerce experiences did not allow for substantial interaction with the products. Customers prefer the sense of touch and live stream shopping has translated that a bit differently in the digital world. 

Unlike other online shopping adventures, live commerce allows customers to virtually “touch” what they wish to buy. Tactility is important—customers want to see the products from various angles, stretch them and test them. Live stream provides this experience online. A knowledgeable salesperson or host can interact with the product in the same way as they would in a brick-and-mortar shop. Consequently, the customer gets an almost realistic tactile experience. 

Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill is still relevant today. Underhill, in his book, states that humans touch things four times before committing to the purchase. While the pandemic confined everyone at home, the desire to interact with products tactically never went away. Therefore, customers discovered a new way to engage vicariously through a salesperson on the other end of the screen.

How To Start

For anyone who wants to engage with their customers through live commerce, the transition is not monumental. If the store has a counter, connected to the internet, employees and the correct gadgets, they are ready to live stream!

The thing that’s an absolute must is an e-commerce strategy for combining live stream shopping into your business to tap into this booming market.

What’s Next For Livestream Commerce?

Live commerce has boosted companies in China and much of Asia, and right now, it’s making its way into the United States and Europe. Some pioneers have accomplished remarkable impact and reach with live stream commerce. Others wanting to follow their example will need to move fast to design their own experiments to get the most out of this dynamic new channel.

How Does Geotargeting Work?

Geotargeting works by using a combination of WiFi triangulation technology, IP addresses, browser cookies and data supplied by users to define the user’s location to serve them messages that are geographically relevant. Some digital advertising platforms such as Google Ads allow users to determine one or multiple locations in which they want their ads to show. 

Today, geotargeting begins when mobile phone users opt-in to disclose their location through the apps on their mobile phones. When the marketing company or app publisher acquires this location data, they must then determine what to do with it. If they wish to serve the push alerts, content or ad in real-time, they will have determined the locations that will activate those actions. When someone enters that pre-defined location, they will receive the campaign or content at that moment.

How Is Geotargeting Used In Marketing?

Among the many businesses that use geotargeting very effectively, fashion retailers are probably at the top of the list. The bigger fashion retailers operate on an international scale, therefore, it is critical to showcase relevant items according to the user’s area. For instance, it would not be a good application of advertising budget to target people in hotter climates with winter garments and vice versa. 

So, where else can geotargeting be applied? Geotargeting is also applied by brick-and-mortar stores looking to improve footfall in their locations. In restaurants where owners might want to take their competitor’s customers. For football clubs, if they want to target fans at events with the goal of boosting ticket sales for upcoming events, jersey sales and app downloads.  

According to eMarketer, consumers spend more time online than watching TV, averaging 3 hours 54 seconds, which provides ample time for ad exposure. Therefore, there is more success in gathering actionable information about their audiences rather than serving present audiences within their geofences. Marketers discover and comprehend who comes to their stores and when this way. Then, they proceed to follow up with significant ad content offered to their audiences’ mobile phones, enabling more conversions and store visits.

Is Geofencing the Same Thing?

Geofencing is targeting users based on a particular area. When marketers apply geofencing, they are drawing a digital “fence” around a location where they want to trigger messaging or notifications. And to recap, geotargeting is more nuanced—the audience is targeted based on both location and behaviour. 

For example, GasBuddy uses geofencing in its marketing strategy. Every time a customer enters a geofenced retail location, they get a limited-time GasBack offer sent to their phone. This helps to improve sales and engagement by targeting customers in places where they are likely to buy something. 

On the other hand, USTA uses geotargeting at the US Open. By applying geofencing, in-app behaviours and proximity targeting, the USTA was able to get 32% of users to click the ‘Buy Now’ button for tickets in the Message Center.

Advantages of Geotargeting

There are many benefits to geotargeting. When someone sees a business in their area, it instantly piques their interest. If a consumer knows the business is close by, it strengthens the customer experience and establishes a relationship. 

No matter where customers are located, people would need specific services. Geotargeted advertisements help you apply technology to bring customers and businesses together. So, the business has to establish itself as a part of the community and link with the locals via geotargeting tools. It promotes local visits and is part of the global movement that motivates people to “shop local”. They may be more interested in referring the business to people they know that need their services. 

When a customer knows a business is local to them, it displays the brand as trustworthy. In effect, it dissolves the barrier that many businesses have trouble with when trying to connect with people outside of their locality. People can find a business easier and improve brand visibility locally.  

When a customer knows that a business is close by and wants to visit, it saves both of them time. Geotargeting links businesses with their neighbours who want to “buy local” and the correct advertising methods are all it takes to reach them.

Conclusion

Marketers don’t need to be advertising giants to benefit from geotargeting. It’s a wonderful fit for brands of any size. The primary advantage is the capacity to market to a highly-targeted audience.

What is AI Marketing?

AI offers more than automation or digital tools. It imitates the human mind to make decisions and function. As a result, it can help marketing teams devise effective marketing strategies that can build customer loyalty and generate profits. 

Even though AI is not the same as human intelligence, it can grow and think like humans, and perhaps, it will surpass it in the future. Slowly but steadily, AI is constantly occupying bigger roles in people’s lives. Especially in the way companies are communicating with their customers. They are leveraging AI tools and methods such as algorithms, machine learning and data models to produce customer insights that marketers can apply to personalise the customer journey, optimise spending and customise content. 

So, how are companies using AI in their marketing?

Case Studies

Netflix

Netflix has been using AI to power content recommendations for years. They have used almost 77,000 altgenres or multiple methods to gauge what shows or movies they should recommend to each of its viewers. Smart AI algorithms were used to personalise recommendations, which increased customer satisfaction and retention. The idea behind using AI for auto-generating recommendations was to ensure users stay on the platform and “binge-watch” more often. 

Besides personalisation, Netflix is also applying AI to create thumbnails and improve streaming quality.

Amazon

Along with Netflix, Amazon was a pioneer in applying machine learning to offer personalised recommendations. In 2019, Amazon announced Amazon Personalize, which provides Amazon Web Services customers with the same machine learning technology that is applied on their e-commerce website. 

The Amazon team has enhanced its functionality since the initial rollout and now it can deliver up to 50% better recommendations across a range of fast-moving products, including movies, music, books and more. Currently, Yamaha, Subway and Domino’s are among some of the companies using Personalize to highlight in-store catalogues, individualized combinations and so on.

Starbucks

According to research, companies that identify customer needs through predictive analytics can boost their organic revenue by 21% every year compared to an average of 12% without predictive analytics. 

Starbucks is the best example among several brands applying predictive analytics to improve customer experience. With their mobile app and loyalty card, they are collecting and analysing customer data to create personalised offers since 2016.

Starbucks has created quite the app experience since then. It records purchase details, including where and when they are made. They use predictive analytics to process this data and create personalised marketing messages for their customers such as suggestions when a user is close to a local store and special offers to supplement the customer’s average order value.

Unilever

Unilever uses AI data centres around the world to synthesise insights from a variety of sources, including CRM, social listening and conventional marketing research. Applying this technology, they have discovered a link between breakfast and ice cream. Consequently, they took this insight and created a range of cereal-flavoured ice creams for the Ben & Jerry’s brand.

What is Next for AI Marketing?

Personalisation, chatbots—AI is more prevalent in the digital marketing domain now, working in the background. It is creating content, personalising websites, predicting behaviour and more. Marketers are quickly realising the benefits of the technology.

Beyond identifying target audiences and analysing their behaviour, AI is the secret hero of digital marketing strategies, particularly when creating real-time personalised content and assistance to drive more revenue. More investment can be heavily anticipated in AI marketing in the next few years.

A Brief History of Cryptocurrency

Before the first digital alternative currencies appeared, cryptocurrency existed as a theoretical construct.  The early proponents of cryptocurrency shared the objective of using computer science and cutting-edge mathematical principles to solve what they considered as political and practical shortcomings of “traditional” fiat currencies. 

The technical foundations of cryptocurrency date back to the 1980s when David Chaum, an American cryptographer, invented a “blinding” algorithm that is still central to modern web-based encryption. The algorithm allowed unalterable, secure data exchanges between parties, setting the groundwork for future electronic money transfers. 

Then, 15 years later, Wei Dai, an accomplished software engineer, published a white paper on b-money, a virtual currency architecture that included several basic elements of modern cryptocurrencies, such as decentralisation and intricate anonymity protections. 

However, b-money was never used as a means of exchange. Though mobile payment technologies boomed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, no true cryptocurrency emerged until the late 2000s when Bitcoin debuted. Widely considered to be the first modern cryptocurrency, Bitcoin is the first publicly available means of exchange that combines user anonymity, built-in scarcity, decentralized control and record-keeping via a blockchain. It was first summarised in a 2008 white paper published by Satoshi Nakamoto, a pseudonymous group or person. Nakamoto released Bitcoin in early 2009 and a group of ardent supporters began trading and mining the currency.

About Decentralisation

Decentralisation seems to be the key motivation for creating alternative currencies. But what does it really mean?

First, let’s talk about the blockchain.

A blockchain is a growing index of records, known as blocks, that are connected to each other using cryptography. They are resistant to data modification because once recorded, the data in any given block cannot be changed retroactively without changing all subsequent blocks. In the blockchain, decentralisation implicates transferring the decision-making and supervision from a centralised institution (group of people, individual or a company) to a dispersed network. Decentralised networks try to limit the degree of trust that members should put in each other and discourage their capability to put forth command or authority over each other in terms that debase the network’s potency. 

The decentralised control is inherent in blockchain technology. The supply and value of cryptocurrency are maintained by user activities and the extremely intricate protocols built into their governing codes, not the premeditated decisions of regulatory authorities like central banks.

The Cryptocurrency Architecture

As mentioned, the technical controls and source codes that support and secure cryptocurrencies are extremely complex. However, it’s not difficult to become an informed cryptocurrency user. Here are some words you need to know.

Blockchain

A cryptocurrency’s blockchain is the master public ledger that maintains and stores all previous activity and transactions, validating ownership of all units of the currency at any given point in time. Since it records the entire transaction history, a blockchain has no limit—contains a finite number of transactions—that grows over time.

Duplicate copies of the blockchain are kept in each node of the cryptocurrency’s software network. Miners continually record and validate cryptocurrency transactions, which aren’t technically finalised until it’s added to the blockchain. This takes only minutes.   

Unlike conventional payment processors, such as credit cards and PayPal, most cryptocurrencies have no in-built chargeback or refund functions, although some recent cryptocurrencies have elementary refund features. 

In the lag time between the initiation and finalisation of the transaction, the units are unavailable for use by either party. Instead, they are detained in a sort of escrow for all intents and purposes. Thus, the blockchain deters double-spending or currency manipulation.

Smart Contract

Smart contracts are programs stored on a blockchain that work when predetermined requirements are met. They are generally employed to automate the implementation of an agreement so that all participants can be instantly certain of the outcome, without an arbitrator’s involvement or time loss. They can even automate a workflow, activating the next step when requirements are met.

Token

A token usually refers to any cryptocurrency besides Ethereum and Bitcoin—even though they are both technically a token. The other increasingly accepted meaning for the token has even more nuanced connotations: as cryptoassets that run on top of another cryptocurrency’s blockchain. 

Tokens in this second category help decentralized applications to do everything from selling virtual real estate to automating interest rates. But they can also be traded or held like any other cryptocurrency.

Miners

Miners operate as cryptocurrency community record-keepers and indirect referees of the currencies’ worth.

Using extensive amounts of computing capacity, usually embodied in confidential server farms owned by mining collectives that incorporate dozens of individuals, miners use extremely technical strategies to confirm the entirety, precision, and security of currencies’ blockchains.

• Nodes
  Node is a computer that connects to the cryptocurrency network. The node supports the network through hosting or validating the blockchain copy, relaying transactions. When relaying transactions, each node contains a blockchain copy of the cryptocurrency it supports. When a transaction is made, the node creating the transaction displays its details applying encryption to other nodes throughout the network so that the transaction is visible. Node owners are either volunteers or interested parties who host a node to obtain rewards from hosting the network.

Wallet

A cryptocurrency wallet stores private and public keys or seeds that can be applied to spend or receive the cryptocurrency. With the private key, it is possible to register in the public ledger, efficiently spending the associated cryptocurrency. With the public key, it is possible for others to transmit currency to the wallet.

The Anonymity Factor

Bitcoin is not anonymous but pseudonymous—the cryptocurrency inside a wallet is not linked to people. It is rather tied to more than one specific key. Thereby, Bitcoin owners can’t be identified but all transactions are publicly known in the blockchain. Additionally, cryptocurrency exchanges are usually mandated by law to collect the personal data of their users. 

Cryptocurrency is based on rational democratic principles, it remains a practical and technological work in progress. For the foreseeable future, the near-monopoly of nation-states on monetary policy and currency production appears secure. Yet, cryptocurrency is still a compelling concept with the power to essentially transform global finance for the better.

Best Email Marketing Practices

If it isn’t broken, it doesn’t need fixing, but it can be improved upon. Here are some ways to make your email marketing even more effective.

• Be More Interactive

When you make your emails interactive, you can engage with your customers better. Customers like being given options and choosing their own journey. Businesses can take advantage of this and tailor the choices to fit customer preferences more closely. The customised journey will lead to more conversions as well. 

There is no need to make interactive elements complicated. They can be clear, clickable call-to-action buttons, surveys and polls, carousels and quick quizzes to display services or products. The usual transaction and welcome emails don’t have to be boring and robotic.

• Consider Incorporating Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not new to the realm of digital marketing. Implementing AI in email strategy can help analyse customer behaviour and streamline email marketing efforts. 

If customers have opened an email, the content needs to be worth their time. If it isn’t, they will simply delete the email, not open the next one and may even unsubscribe. Knowing what customers need becomes important here, so you know exactly what or when to send them an email. You can even use a CRM system to make this process easier. 

For instance, when you analyse customer purchase interests and habits, tools such as Ongage can optimise the times you can send an email, identify the best angle for subject lines and content to improve the open rate and even sales conversions.

• Keep It Simple and Contextual

People receive more than 120 emails every day on average. With every email vying for the customer’s attention, it is difficult to stand out from the crowd. The only way to do so is by keeping it contextual—making it more relevant to your users, urging them to open them. For example, if someone buys dog food from a pet store, they are more likely to respond to an email about dog care than fish or cat care.

To make contextualisation work, user segmentation is required. Here is where you can use AI applications like MoEngage that will segment and categorise your users into groups based on their actions and behaviours such as ‘Needs Attention’ or ‘Price Sensitive’.

• Be Privacy-friendly

Customers today are more aware of their privacy and how their personal information is being used. Therefore, every business needs to focus on data privacy. 

A business is responsible in more ways than one. You should constantly review legislation concerning data privacy and make sure your email marketing campaigns are adhering to it. You are furthermore responsible to inform your customers about any changes in data privacy and let them know how you are going to protect their data. Not just accountability, doing so will also increase your customer’s trust in your business.

Things to Avoid in Your Email Marketing Campaigns

You know what to do but what should you avoid? Here are some email marketing mistakes you don’t want to make.

• Don’t Send Too Many Emails

This is a huge pet peeve for many customers when it comes to email marketing and you need to avoid this the most. More the merrier isn’t ideal for emails. A YouGov study found that 75% of customers say they resent brands that send too many emails. Resentment does not increase sales. You don’t want people to be annoyed with your brand. Spare them this feeling by strategically sending your promotions, for example, once a week.

• Don’t Go Overboard with CTAs

An inbox inundated with promotions is frustrating and so is stacking too many CTAs in one email.

Once a subscriber opens an email, you have 3 seconds to convince them to act. If you give them too many CTAs, you are going to confuse the customer or worse, annoy them. Flooding the subscriber is not the goal. To improve conversion rates, you have to make sure the emails have a simpler way of getting the subscribers to act. You also need to give every email its own purpose.

• Don’t Forget to Optimise for Mobile

More than half of all searches today happen on mobile phones. People use their mobile phones for everything. So, if you aren’t modifying your email marketing for mobile, you can lose subscribers. Test, review and test again to make sure your email campaign is optimised for mobile phones.

• Don’t Forget to Proofread

If there’s one thing people don’t like to see, it’s a sloppy copy. Therefore, make sure there is more than one person working on the brand’s email newsletter. Multiple people should read it before it’s sent out and it should be checked thoroughly for spelling, tone, professionalism and ease of understanding. 

Email marketing after the pandemic doesn’t have to be challenging if you can leverage the work you already put into it over the past year. Keep these tips in mind when you plan your next email campaign.

What is Conversational Commerce?

The intersection of messaging apps and shopping refers to conversational commerce. It enables customers and brands to interact with each other over channels such as messaging apps (WhatsApp, WeChat or Facebook Messenger) or even Voice-based applications (Google Home, Amazon Echo). It is growing fast and it is allowing brands to directly communicate with customers using chatbots powered by AI.

Conversational commerce through messaging apps is nothing like the distracting banners or pop-ups that not just annoy the customers but also make them lose interest in services and products. In fact, it paves the way for a significant interaction between a business and its potential customers, which establishes more personal and valuable relationships.

Conversational e-commerce is all about better reach, more personalized discussions and, therefore, more sales. When businesses deliver hands-on support to their customers, it automatically improves their chances of turning a lead into a conversion. 

Lastly, it is particularly important for customers to feel involved in the conversation when they talk to a brand spokesperson. Currently, WhatsApp chatbots are the first point of contact for a brand’s customer, which makes sure that interactions are engaging and worthwhile.

Rise of Conversational Commerce on WhatsApp

Messaging has become an integral part of everyone’s lives and it is obvious that customers prefer to interact with businesses through the same channels that they use daily.

More than 1.6 billion people, across 180+ countries, use WhatsApp to stay in touch with each other. The two new additions of WhatsApp Business API and WhatsApp Business have also allowed businesses to look into leveraging their connections with their customers in more innovative ways. 

The media capabilities of WhatsApp, such as sharing pictures, PDFs, audio and video files, etc., can enable the support or sales teams to answer product queries and offer customer support. But that is not all! Businesses can send appointment reminders, boarding tickets, shipping alerts, customer support messages, payment links, QR codes for verification, product demonstration videos, customer surveys and more with WhatsApp.

The platform is end-to-end encrypted, so all messages are secure. Businesses can interact with their customers in real-time with no limits and an unprecedented level of privacy. However, WhatsApp does restrict the capacity to send unwarranted, promotional messages to users. Customers can block and report you if they don’t want to see your messages anymore. 

Furthermore, businesses can either communicate via a chatbot or an agent on WhatsApp. You can select this based on the particular needs of the customer and the goal of the communication.

Brands on WhatsApp

With the support of WhatsApp Business API, businesses are now able to balance efficiency and personalisation to develop a seamless buying experience for their current and future customers. Here’s how Netflix and Hellmann’s are using WhatsApp marketing strategies.

Netflix

You have just binge-watched one series and you want to see another. But you want to find something that’s good and aligns with your interests. You can text your friends to ask what shows have 20 episodes per season. However, they might not be able to help. That’s why Netflix wants to save you the trouble. 

The basic idea of the campaign is to re-engage users on WhatsApp who have been inactive for some time. Netflix began their test campaign in India in 2017 and then in the United Kingdom. 

How does the Netflix campaign work? Everything begins with notifications that show up when you are on the Netflix app. Then, they will start sending you recommendations over WhatsApp. Netflix isn’t just spamming your WhatsApp with random movie or TV show recommendations. They know your interests on the app, so they know what recommendations to send you, what you will enjoy.

Hellmann’s

Hellmann’s WhatsApp campaign has to be among the best-orchestrated campaigns of all time. Users were acquired through a special website set up by Hellmann’s. Users simply entered their phone numbers and opted-in to the campaign. 

Once a user signed up, they receive a message on their WhatsApp account from a human chef, who prompts them to upload a picture of ingredients they have on hand. Then, the chef gives them advice on what they can cook with those ingredients together with Hellmann’s products. 

The campaign was a massive success. Presented at the SM2 conference by Unilever, it was revealed that the brand prompted 4 million people to visit the website via various channels. 13,000 people registered on the website as a result.

Among the most astonishing metric of this campaign was the amount of time users spent interacting with the chef—it was a whopping 65 minutes!

WhatsApp is the most engaging and personal channel to date. It can bypass the email and SMS channels that can become spammy. WhatsApp can be kept clean and become a channel that provides value to customers and help establish enjoyable experiences that will nurture long-term relationships.

Introduction to the Metaverse

In science fiction, a metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection. The term is often defined as a hypothetical iteration of the internet as a universal, single virtual world that is stimulated by the use of AR and VR  headsets

To put it simply, a metaverse is a virtual world parallel to the physical world. You create a virtual character and it comes to life in this virtual world. Moreover, you are able to travel between spaces—similar to how you visit websites on the internet, you can visit platforms on metaverse. Hence, it is considered a universe. 

The digital world can be a social space, a video game, or even a shop. You can host a virtual party, meet or work, buy or sell things, or simply get social. It is up to you, what you want and how you want it. That is why metaverse marketing could be useful to brands. The possibilities are countless.

AR and VR in the Metaverse

A quick reminder: Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) has been around for some time and many brands (popular retail brand such as Michael Kors and IKEA) already use these technologies for their marketing and branding. 

VR and AR are commonly used to create this parallel world by offering an intense 3D experience. While AR merges the physical and virtual worlds, VR goes beyond this and creates a completely virtual environment that can only be accessed through special devices.

How Does The Metaverse Help Digital Marketing?

The first tenant of digital marketing is the attraction that leads to interaction, and metaverse provides this to the full extent. 

Several virtual events, gatherings and conventions can happen in the digital universe. With a pandemic going on, the metaverse is useful for all kinds of people. They can stay connected, even if it’s virtual. The shifting consumer behaviour and previous experiences show that metaverse can potentially stay with us for a long time. It is only beginning and marketing has adapted to changing technology well enough for the past 100 years—metaverse is simply another channel to get accustomed to.  

Metaverse is new, so ideas don’t need to be complex. There are several brands that are already in the game.  As mentioned before, the metaverse is an immersive and experimental space. So, many brands are offering events and installations that users can interact with. 

For instance, Gucci celebrated its 100-year anniversary with Roblox. The event, called the Gucci Garden experience, had a Collector’s Room where people collected limited Gucci items in the metaverse. Dimension Studio, in collaboration with Balenciaga,  launched a virtual production set-up that lets a user step onto a platform, be scanned by 106 cameras, and plunge into virtual worlds to try out garments and other products. 

Opportunities on the Metaverse

Metaverse is highly interactive, so building long-term relationships with the chosen audience are possible. Audiences can play games or join virtual events. Brands can even create their own space or be a guest in existing ones like Gucci organising events in the Roblox space. These games and events become the perfect opportunity to build a bridge between customers and brands. When brands offer an immersive experience, users will end up spending more time in your space. 

The whole virtual world is still new. If a brand has an exciting idea, popularity is inevitable because everybody will be talking about it, attracting old and potential customers. The concept of a 3D shop where customers can walk around is attractive. 

However, what will that experience be like?

The experience will be akin to checking out items on Amazon with a highly realistic experience. They can even try the products. Therefore, brands have a higher chance to convince their customers to purchase items. Engagement marketing in this realm will be booming.

Challenges on the Metaverse

Not everything that shines is gold, so there are some things marketers need to consider. Intellectual property ownership is the biggest challenge among them all. If an AI is creating content, you might not get intellectual property protection. Therefore, the legal rights of work can’t be claimed.

Security issues on metaverse still need improvements. Ownership of digital assets is difficult to verify as well. If you make money virtually, for instance, you will need to prove it’s yours. 

Metaverse will grow fast—there’s no doubt about it. With an increasing number of users, easily applicable ideas and limitless opportunities for brands, if digital marketers have a bold idea they can’t execute in the physical world, they can now do it in the virtual world.

How is LinkedIn Marketing Important?

Making connections, generating leads, improving brand awareness, fostering business partnerships and relationships, sharing content, driving traffic to your website—are some of the things that LinkedIn is capable of doing for your business when used wisely as a marketing tool. 

It is tempting to put your entire social media marketing budget into the big three: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. While there’s nothing wrong with these platforms for reaching your target audience, not choosing LinkedIn is doing your business an immense disservice. LinkedIn generates leads 227% more effectively than Twitter and Facebook, so it is an indispensable platform for your business. 

So, how can you use LinkedIn for your business?

Networking

LinkedIn is great for networking. To take full advantage of its networking capacities, you need to do three things:

• Connect with people
  Use LinkedIn to connect with friends and colleagues, and people you don’t know. Are you following someone’s blog? Try to connect with them on LinkedIn. Keep your profile set to public and be open to connecting—you never know what opportunities your LinkedIn network will create.

• Build an amazing profile
  However, you can’t just stop at connecting with others. You need to invest time and effort to build your business page. Keep your profile free of jargon and make sure it’s concise. Use a professional-looking headshot and a legible logo for your page. If you’re using a header photo, ensure it’s sized correctly and the imagery is neat. Fill out every relevant field and attach media, such as white paper, infographics, blog posts, etc.

• Interact with others
  It is important to interact with others and build connections. As you share your content, comment on other people’s content as well. Respond to comments about your content. Ask questions that will lead to discussions, provide recommendations and ask for them too. Lastly, participate in LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your business.

Publishing

LinkedIn is a great resource for content creators. Not only can you post status updates and link back to content on your website, but you can also utilise LinkedIn as a native publishing platform and make content for your LinkedIn audience.

However, you might be wondering why can’t you directly publish on your website or blog? LinkedIn can be used to drive social engagement and create brand awareness rather than simply drive traffic to your website. When you publish on LinkedIn, all your connections are notified, which is an immense advantage. Additionally, 45% of LinkedIn article readers are in upper-level positions, so it can lead to great B2B opportunities. 

Lastly, LinkedIn also provides analytics for all the articles you create, which makes it easier to determine the articles that are getting the most traction.

Reputation Management

The foremost rule in online reputation management is to have control over every result that shows up on Google’s first search page results when someone looks for your business name. 

Everyone wants their content to rank, but it’s also a good practice to maintain all the social profiles you can in the name of your business—even if you aren’t planning to be notably active on them. Why do this? It is because social media profiles, including your LinkedIn profile, nearly always show up on the first page of the results for a business’ name. Therefore, you need to make a page on LinkedIn, if only to claim a good spot on the SERP. The more real estate you can accumulate on the SERP, the better.

Generate Leads and Drive Conversions

Whether your business is B2C or B2B, you can generate leads and drive conversions on LinkedIn. In fact, LinkedIn comes with a Chrome extension that can help you with this purpose. It’s called the LinkedIn Sales Navigator that connects with your Gmail. 

With this extension, when someone emails you, their summarised LinkedIn profile will show up in your inbox. This is useful if you want to quickly research leads or new people. You also get insights into your leads. The advanced search functionality allows you to zero in on decision-makers and you get automatic lead recommendations.

It is important to remember that LinkedIn is a professional network that lets you develop credibility, build a significant network, and gather insider knowledge from established experts in your industry. It is a valuable tool in your social marketing arsenal, so you should use every opportunity it offers.